Lewes Neighbourhood Plan
Lewes Town Council are preparing a Neighbourhood Development Plan for Lewes. Further details of the neighbourhood plan preparation are available at the Lewes Neighbourhood Plan webpage.
The following stages and documents have been completed:
| Statutory stage | Further information & documents |
|---|---|
| Plan ‘made’ (adopted) |
The Lewes NDP (Submission Plan incorporating the Examiner’s modifications and all modifications as per the SDNPA Decision Statement) complies with the legal requirements and basic conditions set out in the Localism Act 2011 and as a result of the SDNPA Planning Committee resolution on 11 April 2019 has been made. Lewes Neighbourhood Plan – Made Plan The Lewes NDP is a part of the Development Plan of the SDNPA Local Planning Authority area as defined by the Neighbourhood Area Designation by the SDNPA on 8 May 2014. The made Lewes NDP can be viewed at the following location: South Downs Centre, North Street, Midhurst, GU29 9DH |
| Referendum |
On Thursday 7 March 2019 a referendum took place on a neighbourhood development plan in the Parish of Lewes area. The results are as follows: Turnout: 24.83% The Referendum version of the Neighbourhood Plan can be viewed here: Lewes Neighbourhood Plan – Referendum Version Further details of the Referendum can be viewed on the Lewes District Council website and in the Voting Information for Referendum and Information Statement documents set out below. Lewes NDP Voting Information for Referendum Lewes NDP Information Statement An update to the Sustainability Appraisal was carried out on the Examiner’s recommended modifications to the Lewes NDP. The updated Sustainability Appraisal concluded that none of the modifications has resulted in any changes to the significant effects of the Lewes NDP. Sustainability Appraisal (SA) updated SA Annex B – Review of relevant Plans & Programmes |
| Decision on a Plan Proposal |
On 17 January 2019, the SDNPA’s Planning Committee agreed the Decision Statement for the Lewes NDP. This sets out the modifications that will be made to the Neighbourhood Plan in response to the Examiner’s recommendations. The Lewes NDP has been modified accordingly and will proceed to referendum on 7 March 2019. |
| Independent Examination (Examiner’s Report) |
The Examiner has now issued his final report, which the SDNPA will consider. A ‘Decision Statement’ will be prepared setting out the actions to be taken in response to the recommendations of the Examiner. The Decision Statement will be presented to the SDNPA Planning Committee on the 17 January 2019. |
| Independent Examination |
The SDNPA has appointed Mr Andrew Ashcroft as independent examiner of the Lewes NDP. The Examiner will assess whether the Lewes NDP meets certain legal requirements, known as ‘basic conditions’ and will consider the representations made on the Lewes NDP. The Examiner has issued the following note which sets out the arrangements for the Examination and provides guidance on the key stages through which the examination will progress: Lewes Neighbourhood Development – Route Map The following note sets out the Examiner’s initial comments on the submitted Neighbourhood Plan. It also sets out areas where it would be helpful to have some further clarification. Examiner’s First Clarification Note Lewes Town Council’s Response to Examiner’s Clarification-Note-1 Lewes Town Council’s Response to Submission Representations from Statutory Bodies Further to his site visit to the neighbourhood area, the Examiner has issued his second clarification note. This note should be read with the first clarification note on the Neighbourhood Plan (30 August 2018). It sets out a further series of more detailed comments on the submitted Plan. Examiner’s Second Clarification Note Lewes Town Council’s Response to Examiner’s Clarification Note 2 A summary of the representations received during the Submission consultation (Regulation 16) is set out below together with the SDNPA’s response to this. Summary of Representations received on Submission (Regulation 16) Consultation Alongside the Submission (Regulation 16) consultation, the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) undertook a focused consultation on the proposed Local Green Space and Local Community Space designations proposed in the Lewes Neighbourhood Plan. A summary of the representations received from this consultation is available to view below. Paper copies of the representations can be viewed on request at the South Downs Centre, North Street, Midhurst, West Sussex, GU29 9DH and at Lewes Town Hall High Street, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 2QS. |
| Publicising the Plan Proposal |
The SDNPA published the submitted Lewes NDP for consultation in accordance with Part 5 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012. The consultation ran from 9:00 am Monday 11 June to 11:59pm Monday 23 July 2018. The following documents were been submitted for consultation: Lewes Neighbourhood Plan – Submission Plan June 2018 Supported by:
Sustainability Appraisal (SA)
Hard copies of the above documents are available to view at: Lewes Town Council Offices Town Hall, High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2QS South Downs National Park Authority, South Downs Centre, North Street, Midhurst, West Sussex, GU29 9DH The SDNPA undertook the following checks on the Lewes NDP submission documents: *The report below provides a supplement to the Lewes Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) Screening. This is in light of the recent High Court judgement ‘The People Over Wind, Peter Sweetman v Coillte Teoranta judgement (Sweetman II judgement) that was issued in April 2018 by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and provides important new case law for the treatment of mitigation measures when undertaking HRA. Supplement to Lewes HRA Screening Report – Sept 2018 Further evidence base documents supporting the preparation of the Lewes NDP can be found at: www.lewes4all.uk |
| Pre-submission consultation on the plan |
Lewes Town Council carried out their pre-submission consultation on their draft neighbourhood plan from Monday 8th May until 5pm on Wednesday 21st June. Details of the plan and supporting documents are available on the Lewes Neighbourhood Plan website. |
| Designated Neighbourhood Area | The SDNPA designated the Lewes Neighbourhood Area on 8 May 2014 following an application from Lewes Town Council. |
| Consultation on the proposed Neighbourhood Area | A consultation on an application to designate Lewes Neighbourhood Area was held from 29 January to 14 March 2014. |
For further information please contact neighbourhood@southdowns.gov.uk